1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for performing printing by ejecting liquid such as an ink, and particularly relates to a technique of controlling, with an air flow, ink mist which may be generated in a case where an ink is ejected from a liquid ejection head.
2. Description of the Related Art
As an example of this kind of technique, United States Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0238561 describes providing a supply part for supplying an air flow to a position where mist may be generated and a suction part for sucking air, thereby generating an air flow from the mist generation position to the suction part. This arrangement can efficiently lead generated mist with the air flow into the suction part and prevent mist from landing on a surface of a liquid ejection head on which ejection openings are formed to affect ink ejection and from landing on an apparatus to stain the apparatus or printing paper.
However, the feature of controlling ink mist as disclosed in United States Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0238561 has a problem that air supplied from the supply part is not efficiently used to remove mist. More specifically, in the mist control feature disclosed in United States Patent Laid-Open No. 2006/0238561, the air flow from the supply part is blown in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveyed print medium as described later with reference to FIG. 10. Accordingly, about half of the blown air flow heads for a suction opening of the suction mechanism, and makes it impossible to generate an air flow which efficiently heads for the suction opening. As a result, for example, there is a case where in order to secure a necessary amount of an air flow heading for the suction opening of the suction mechanism, a large amount of air needs to be supplied.